Hello! This is Staci's sister, Heidi. Periodically I will share how Staci is doing and the many miracles she is seeing! Today's post is from her most recent email:

So during [hurricane] Irene I decided to look through the dead book to see if there was any formers [investigators] that looked like they would have any potential. I found quite a few people that I thought would be receptive. So I wrote the names and addresses all down on our ID List on our wall. The other night we were planning for a day in another town. I wrote down all the potentials and their addreses that were in that area to stop by. We had this address for a Matt on 65 blah blah st. (name of street was changed for protection of my investigatores :0). Well we get there and it happened to be apartments; a bit annoying because there wasn't a whole address. We decide to tract the apartments. We get closer and found out there was only 2. The first one was an older lady who owned the house. She said that no Matt lived there. We decided to knock on the last door anyway. Alice opened :) We asked if she knew a Matt and she said she lived there for 11 yrs and her mother in law that lives down stairs has lived there for a long time. BUT she invited us in. She asked us lots of questions and we taught the restoration to her and introduced the Book of Mormon. It was yet another one of those moments we [her two companions and herself] had taught so perfectly well together. At the end Alice looks at us and says, 'Well if there are three young girls like you that belief in it then there must be something special.' We have a return appt! As we were walking out we thought it was funny that a Matt never had lived in this appt. Then I started to think what if I wrote the address down wrong? So when I got home I looked and I was dyslexic; it was 56 not 65.... yay for dyslexia hahaha HUGE MIRACLE! Alice is golden.

She is doing well with her two companions, still in Plymouth, her first area. She has been out for 5.5 months, in her 4th transfer. On November 11, it will be her 6 month anniversary!
Please write her!

Sister Staci Rachelle Huntsman

New Hampshire Manchester Mission

2 Bedford Farms Ste 208Bedford, NH 03110-6532

If you want, you can email me a letter to Staci at shomakers@gmail.com and I'll send your letter with my own weekly letter. She loves to get letters and hear from her friends!
And Staci's ending to her email today was:

Hope you guys have a great week! Because I know I will! Don't forget to be a good example to others and share this glad message of the gospel to everyone! How selfish would we be if we kept it to our selves?

Love,

Sister Staci Huntsman

Mission Addresses!

Hey everyone! I am just about outta here! I leave in 3 days. I am sooooo excited. I know that it will be such a great experience. I know that many of you would LOVE ;) to write me. So below are my addresses. I am looking forward to spending 18 months of my life serving the Lord. Who can ask for a better life?

MTC address (I am entering May 11. I will only be there for around 3 weeks.)
Sister Staci Rachelle Huntsman
MTC Mailbox # 201
NH-MAN 0530
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

New Hampshire address (I am not sure if this will ever change, if it does, i will let you know)
Sister Staci Rachelle Huntsman
New Hampshire Manchester Mission
2 Bedford Farms Ste 208
Bedford, NH 03110-6532

I love you all. And I hope you all can write me.

until later,
Sister Huntsman

2 Weeks!

Wow I never would of thought that preparing for a mission would be so hard. It is a very good hard though. I never thought shopping would be so hard. I mean come on! I love shopping. But trying to shop for 18 months. Phew! Can get tiring. I have spent lots of money and have most of my items for my mission. I have all my clothes and accessories. Just a few odds and ends I need to buy.

I had 2 farewells. I spoke in my singles ward along with singing and also I spoke in my homeward. That was an experience in itself. It was so weird going back and speaking to all the people who watched me grow up into a brat and then find my way back to the iron rod. It was pretty neat. I had a lot of people support me. It was nice to see so many loving people come and listen to me bear my testimony.

Things to do: I am quitting my job on Friday! Yay! I am so excited to be moving on in the new stage in life. I have so many dinner/lunch dates planned for last minute hang-outs. And I am trying to stay emotionally stable. I have a few things I need to buy. And I am FINALLY ready to serve the Lord. I have to pack up my room and pack my bags. I am sure that will be emotional in itself. I had professional missionary pictures taken. You can view them here: (http://cheapshotsllc.instaproofs.com/category.php?event=368615&id=950542#103783036)

My life has changed so much from 1 year ago to 6 months ago to even 1 month ago. I am spiritually stronger than I have ever been. I am mentally prepared. I wish I could say Physically prepared. haha. But that is definitely a trial I have yet to overcome.

In 2 weeks I will be entering into the MTC and after a couple weeks onward to New Hampshire! Isn't life wonderful?

until later,
Sister Huntsman

7 more weeks.....

Want to know something funny? I have only had my call for 2 weeks. It literally feels like I have had it for a good couple months. haha. Last Saturday I went shopping for the very first time. I think it overwhelmed me a bit. My first stop was the Sister Missionary Mall! There were 2 other customers, a mother and a daughter. Just so happens this girl is leaving for New Hampshire Manchester on May 11! How crazy is that?! She is going to be my future companion. haha. Kind of funny how that works. Well I find that I can shop easiest for accessories instead of actual clothes i.e. sewing kits, shoes, toiletries. . . I just wanted to look around first and see all of my options before I start buying things. But I did buy my SHOES! I didn't want those bulky sis. miss. shoes everybody wears. I would rather have them look cute. Yes vain, I know. But what can I say? .... I find that it is fun to go shopping even though it is over whelming. I don't have a lot of stuff but so far I have: 2 pairs of shoes, a toiletry bag, luggage, my immunizations, books, and a messenger back. . . I know what blanket and sheets I want. So thats a plus. Now I just have to go buy them. I still have a lot to do. and only 7 weeks to do it in!

Whats super stressful is my 2 farewell talks. the 17th and 24th of April. Its funny how that makes me more nervous than going on an mission does. But it will be fun and I am excited. May 11th.... Here I come!!!

Until later,
Sister Huntsman

Mission Call: New Hampshire Manchester Mission

As I wake up a couple times in the night on Wednesday the 8th, I would get so giddy that I would have to tell myself to calm down and go back to bed. This happened a couple of times. I just knew I was getting my call today. When my alarm clock went off at 7 am, I didn't feel like going to work. haha. Who would anyway? But unfortunately I had to go in.... So I get to work
and my attention span is as a 3 year old. I am pretty sure it was my least productive day in the history of working at Fishbowl. By the time 2 o'clock came I was jittery as can be. I happen to live in an unlucky neighborhood. My mail man doesn't come until 3pm! Naturally my day went by slow. My boss eventually just told me to leave and he didn't have to tell me that more than once. haha. As I'm driving home with my sister Heidi, we get a phone call from her husband saying my mom is walking up the drive way holding a letter in the air. Luckily we were only a couple blocks away. It took all of my energy to not force the speedometer to go higher.

(my real call below)
Can you believe that I didn't immediately run into my house screaming like a maniac? Well I think I might have. The funny thing is there were 2 white large envelopes that looked exactly the same and were both in my name. There was one problem... The 1st one was an insurance paper the 2nd one was my mission call. My mother thought it would be hilarious to give me the insurance paper and say it was my call. So I run into my house I grab on to my call and jump up and down. I was so confused because it didn't say it was from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That's when I realized my REAL call was sitting on the couch. I am pretty sure I punched my mom in the arm. haha. Isn't life just so great? I was so excited. I knew that I had my call and felt like I could wait now for a second and take in the moment while Heidi sets up the camera and my mom wakes up my dad. Don't you fret.... I did smell it! haha. I thought maybe I would be able to tell where I would be going. um.... That didn't work at all. Want to see my initial reaction? Well... YOU can :) because I am a genius and had Heidi record it. Watch below.



So there you have it! I have been called to New Hampshire Manchester Mission. The cool thing about this is, it covers 5 states. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and a little bit of Massachusetts and New York. I hear they eat a lot of seafood which will be a bit of a challenge but come on?! If that's all I have to worry about I will be fine! I am so grateful for this opportunity and for the experience and knowledge I will gain. I leave May 11th. That is only 2 months. I am so excited and so ready for this next step in my life to begin. It just feels so surreal that I have been called by my Heavenly Father to do His will and now I just have to wait to report to the MTC.

Life is soooo good!

until later,
Sister Huntsman

Zepter

I have this habit of naming all inanimate objects. I find that I will not lose them as often and I create a connection with them. So when they pass on I will remember them. I drive this awesome green car. He is scary thats why I call him the Green Monster. Although he really is just a sweet nice guy who is getting old. But on his eye brows (wind shield wipers) there is a little flap that does its own thing, I call him Ted. So that he won't bug me when he makes noises (I find that easier to deal with). Recently my sister gave her previous car, Boris, up for adoption. And then adopted Lars (the exact same Jeep but diff year). So that he will last longer. I have had Squishy a phone, Summer Days an ipod, Sunset another phone, Snow White my computer, Blackie another ipod (shown in image below), and many more that would take me years to tell you all the things I've named. My recent collection is a new phone! It has taken me a couple days to figure out what his name is. It is ZEPTER (he is in the image to the left)! How I got his name you ask? Well, I was working and I get this list of company names everyday that I have to hand out to some of the salesmen and there was a company named Zepter. I immediately new that was his name. It just fits. Plus its kind of like Vector from Despicable Me. Zepter is a super villain (almost as cool as Megamind). I do have to thank Heidi and Robert for giving me Zepter. It was a great gift!

Zepter and I will have lots of adventures with each other. I have already dropped him, yelled at him, and I'm sure he has done the same with me. While talking to all his cell phone buddies. He will be my last phone before my 18 months of electronic-free life well, to an extent. haha. But I do have to say that sounds really great to leave all my friends home and forget them for a little while. It is a good thing they really don't have emotions after all.

until later,
Staci

my "hiccup" in my mission papers

Last night while playing cards with the most amazing couple ever (brother and sister Ingersoll), I received a text from my sister Heidi telling me the stake president is trying to get a hold of me. I thought maybe he hadn't sent in my papers yet and still had some questions. Turns out.... he totally sent them in! ..... That is the good news! The bad news is I have not finished my papers; I have to take an evaluation with some counselor to make sure I'm all there in the head haha (I think that is my favorite part, so silly). I have to take it because of some of my past issues. When I turned 16 my young women leader gave me a picture that said "You are free to choose, but you are not free to alter the consequences of your decisions. -Ezra Taft Benson" Going through my 'rebelious' stage I never gave much thought to what that meant. I never cared for my consequences. Now I wish I would of been more careful and realized what the ripple effect would be. I may not regret the the things I did, but oh how I wish I can turn back time and change it. I guess this is the only step that needs to be finished before I receive my mission call! Hopefully this is my last hiccup. If everything goes well and fast I might get my call next week.... Wouldn't that be amazing?!


I just sit here in awe and think how far I have come in life; how much I have grown, and who I am becoming. How can you not look out the window and see the beautiful mountains, snow covered trees, the way the clouds make certain shapes, and not thank the Lord for his amazing creations? I get even more excited to know that I am not only able but also worthy to serve a mission and invite all to come unto Christ.

Until next time,
Staci

Mission Prep

I started going back to church April of 2010. It was the best decision of my life. I made small goals, which in the big picture led to amazing things in my life. I made better & great friends, I got my patriarchal blessing, I became the activities chairman, and my most recent news I am preparing to serve a mission! Last night my stake president called and asked me a question on my papers, I got the impression that he will be sending my papers to Salt Lake any day now :). That just makes me jump for joy. That means I will probably be receiving my mission call in the next couple weeks. SO CLOSE! Pres. Monson said

"Last October in general conference I called for more missionaries. Every worthy, able young man should prepare to serve a mission. Such service is a priesthood duty—an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so very much. Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a missionary. Keep yourselves clean and pure and worthy to represent the Lord. Maintain your health and strength. Study the scriptures. Where such is available, participate in seminary and institute. Familiarize yourself with the missionary handbook Preach My Gospel.

Sisters, while you do not have the same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service."

http://lds.org/liahona/2011/01/the-lord-needs-missionaries?lang=eng

I know in my life I have gone through things and done things that aren't the best. but I know now that serving a mission is just the right thing to do. It makes me feel even better knowing that I am answering the call for Pres. Monson and serving a mission. Oh how great life is, right? The gospel brings so much joy in my life and I can only imagine (with to much reality) where I would be with out it.

so, as I pray, study my scriptures and preach my gospel, and prepare for my big next step (the temple) My will testimony will grow and so will my faith. I will keep you posted of my journey of becoming a missionary and living a better life all together.

until then,

(soon to be) Sister Huntsman